Which Band Skipped the Grammys to Highlight Rock’s Exclusion from The Telecast?

Shawn Fernandes

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01.29.2018

The Grammys were not kind to the rock and metal categories this year. All the awards in these categories were relegated to the pre-telecast section of the awards ceremony that took place in the afternoon before the main event.

Winners included the late Leonard Cohen (Best Rock Performance), Mastodon (Best Metal Performance), Foo Fighters (Best Rock Song) and The War On Drugs (Best Rock Album). The National also won for Best Alternative Music Album.

Hard rock/metal act Avenged Sevenfold were also nominated this year, with their song ‘The Stage’ (from their album of the same name) getting a nod for Best Rock Song. However, the band decided not to attend the ceremony, owing to their category’s exclusion from the main event. Lead singer M. Shadows texted radio DJ Eddie Trunk, telling him that the band’s decision to not travel to New York was “not really a protest per se” but more of a financial consideration, given the costs involved.

Avenged Sevenfold were also unimpressed with the sidelining of rock at the Grammys. According to Trunk, Shadows also said, “Rock Song Of The Year can’t get two minutes?...And they put us in some side venue no one gives a **** about? **** that, waste of time and money.”

The band probably appreciate their decision even more after the Foo Fighters beat them to take the Best Rock Song award.